Since August 2022, reports have been circulating that Donald Trump would be indicted over the mishandling of classified documents found in his Mar-a-Lago residence.
Almost a year later, liberals’ wildest dreams came true around 8 pm Thursday night when, in a historic move, a grand jury in Federal District Court in Miami handed up the former president the indictment.
The Charges
A search warrant from the FBI prompted a raid on the Florida property back in August 2022 to search for evidence that would amount to a violation of three criminal statutes.
The charges that came down yesterday include illegal retention of government secrets, which violates the Espionage Act. The act outlaws the unauthorized retention of national security information that could harm the United States or aid an adversary.
The other charges include obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and false statement.
The obstruction of justice charge seems to carry the most weight. Investigators believe that Trump ordered staff to move some boxes out of a storage area after the government delivered a subpoena in May 2022, which insinuates Trump interfered with the investigation.
The Unrelenting Political Theater
After years of unrelenting litigation from judicial activists in D.C., it’s now difficult to dismiss the everyday reports that somehow, someway TRUMP IS GOING TO JAIL! It all feels like a bunch of political theater, something to report on for ratings. As Trump stated in his Truth Social post defending himself:
“Very sadly we’re a nation in decline and yet, they go after a popular president … on a boxes hoax. Just like the ‘Russia Russia Russia hoax and all of the others. This has been going on for seven years and they can’t stop because it’s election interference at the highest level.”
He reiterated later in the message, “and now they’re doing it again. It’s just a continuation, seven years, even after I’m out.”
Now that the indictment is here, the roof of the theater has been blown off, courtesy of the justice department.
In an interview on NBC earlier this week, prior to the indictment, the network’s chief legal analyst, Laura Jarrett, claimed:
“I also don’t want the people at home to think the DOJ just reached this conclusion that he’s a target. We’ve known for quite some time remember they raided his home at Mar-a-Lago.”
Of course, we have jumped to the conclusion. The media won’t shut up about it, unlike many scandals on the other side of the aisle they choose to stay silent on.
Double Standard
The recent Durham report not only cleared Trump of any ‘collusion’ with Russia in election interference but also established a weaponization of the FBI. It demonstrated the lengths Democrats were willing to go to discredit Trump during the presidential election of 2016, and are willing to do the same for the upcoming election.
The report stated:
“Our investigation also revealed that senior F.B.I. personnel displayed a serious lack of analytical rigor toward the information that they received, especially information received from politically affiliated persons and entities. This information in part triggered and sustained Crossfire Hurricane and contributed to the subsequent need for Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation.”
Trump’s four pending criminal investigations should be seen as repeat performances that, for some reason, people continue to buy tickets to.
Yet, no investigations were ever set in motion for Hillary Clinton over her possession of classified emails with no authority to declassify information, unlike Trump.
And a stymied investigation, thanks to the FBI, into criminal activity involving the Biden family and Joe Biden himself, despite plenty of evidence to support the need for a thorough exploration.
Nada on Jeffrey Epstein and the dark ring of elite political and corporate allies he was cozy with.
Trump is not wrong when he stated on Thursday evening, “But this is what they do. This is what they do so well. If they would devote their energies to honesty and integrity it would be a lot better for our country. They could do a lot better, they could do a lot of great things.”
Wise words for both sides of the aisle.
Nothing To See Here
Trump has claimed innocence throughout the week via several posts on Truth Social.
Before the indictment came down on Wednesday he stated:
“No one has told me I’m being indicted, and I shouldn’t be because I’ve done NOTHING wrong, but I have assumed for years that I am a Target of the WEAPONIZED DOJ & FBI, starting with the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX, the “No Collusion” Mueller Report, Impeachment HOAX #1, Impeachment HOAX #2, the PERFECT Ukraine phone call, and various other SCAMS & WITCH HUNTS.”
After the indictment on Thursday, Trump protested, quite calmly:
“There’s never been anything like what’s happened. I’m an innocent man, I’m an innocent person.”
Tom Fitton, conservative activist, Trump supporter, and president of Judicial Watch, is adamant “there’s no there there.”
He called the Biden justice department “corrupted” and claimed the raid on Trump’s home by the FBI last year has been used to “harass and abuse Trump” without any good faith basis to prosecute him, let alone indict him.
The DOJ’s insistence in this case, according to Fitton, amounts to nothing more than “brazen election interference” that would turn America into a “banana republic.”
Many claim we are already there.
Is Trump’s behavior questionable, even amoral or reprehensible? Sure. Illegal? Well, that’s only possible with a bureaucratic deep state that has made it their sole mission to take down Trump.
It’s hard to deny Trump’s claim: “They’re trying to destroy a reputation so they can win an election.”
And with the kind of vehemence the DOJ demonstrates, anything is possible. Even a former president going to jail.
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor for 19Fortyfive. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics, and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
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